iancoxleigh

Hey, Stephen, it is interesting that you should comment right below me because when I saw this, I immediately thought of your photo of a thunderhead over square butte in Montana. I haven't gone back to look at that image again so don't know how much similarity there actually is, but that was my first association.

Amazing cloud and I love the great expanse of ever-darkening sky that fills the frame. Lovely image!

Fred,

 

I like your observation that "Nature here seems orchestrated". I was consciously playing with that element in this image because it is the overriding feeling you have when you visit this place (Watkins Glen). The entirely natural gorge was made accessible with stone steps and bridges as a depression era make-work project. The stone has now aged and melded into the gorge wonderfully making the whole seem as one.

 

For me, this leaves a mixed impression of the gorge as being as much a man-made entity as the steps and trail through it – or, conversely, the steps and trail seeming natural. In my experience of the place, they seem so closely linked that they should be of the same origin.

 

Anyways, on my last visit I tried to put the human elements back into the scene and also to emphasize the interconnection between nature and man-made components by choosing a very purposeful – overtly structured – composition.

 

I tried this with several compositions at several places, but, each failed accept this one. Any of the places I had photographed on my first visit, I am unhappy with my images from my second outing. I don't know if it because I am looking at the finished image from the first trip and therefore can't (as easily) see the potential of working with the new image? But, ignoring the presentation, I am less happy with the compositions in each of the re-visit images. Regardless, whatever the problem is, I have moved on from the images. This is the only image from my re-visit that I plan to keep. But, thankfully, I really like the results here. I also am glad that it is from a spot I hadn't reached the first time I went and so adds to the others in that way.

The various textures here are lovely – especially the lichens. There is also a nice flow to this composition – the jumbled rocks lead into the textured melting snow and right back into the peak. The reflections are are a nice foil to the foggy sky.

 

Very nice.

For me, that was a big improvement.

 

That is more of a darkening than I suggested; but, I was actually thinking about doing something like that. This has made the hills less dominant and my eye now rests comfortably at the elbow of the river and that gives this image just a bit more of a sense of focus. I also like your clean-up of the bottom – I can really enjoy the sinuous form of that front slope. It is sort of like the line some people strike beneath their signature: it is the final bit of polish.

Ok, so I'm late to the party. But, add my voice to the chorus: I like the square crop and I like the increased saturation bump of the re-post.

 

This looks like such a fantastic place. Is it as empty and uninhabited as your images suggest? God I'd love to go here!

You know, I like this as it stand quite a bit. I wouldn't be wanting for more directionality in the light. I like how the light here lets me get lost in all the wondrous textures.

 

I wouldn't mind losing the bits of grass and reeds poking in from the bottom and I might also try a faint vignette to help hold my gaze in the scene. Make sure it is so faint that you can't really tell its there.

Thanks Lars. "Nothing to say" is just about the perfect response.

Thanks Guys.

 

Jeff, these would indeed be an interesting subject in a variety of conditions. I'd love to go back (for a variety of reasons). Its too bad they are 4600 km away by car (exactly according to Google maps).

This looks incredible as a full page in Photolife this month. Congrats on a great photo and a nice article.

All comments welcome.

Hi Jeff,

 

Well, this isn't quite how the light really was of course. The dynamic range in the original scene was far, far too wide to capture in an unaltered way. It was fully overcast and late in the day, but, this gorge is just too deep, and the rocks too dark, to include the upper vegetation without it blowing out – unless you take some precautions.

 

So, I used a 3-stop hard-edged grad diagonally across the top right, down the edge of the left-side gorge and across the bridge. Then there is a 2-stop soft grad coming much further into the image to blend the edge of the hard-edged grad. Plus, I used a couple of mild digital gradients to further darken the top of the image. I think I cloned in a few open patches that showed the grey sky in the far background.

 

I also might have done some light dodging in the deep shadows; but, nothing major. I had chosen to over-expose and recover the highlights rather than to try and bring up the shadows (which always risks noise).

 

As for trying this darker, well, I worked on this so long ago and lived with this as a finished product for so long now that I feel comfortable saying "this is it" – at least until I make a good large print. Then, there will probably be a few minor tweaks (there usually are).

 

Thanks for stopping by Jeff.

 

 

 

You're right, of course, they are/were 4x5. I'm not sure what made me think of them as square.

 

The exhibition hall was kept very dimly lit and each print was individually illuminated by a (not very bright) spot light. You really felt adrift in each scene and that you could reach out and touch the water – but that you were totally lost.

 

The friend I went with seemed totally uninterested and kept trying to hurry me along.

Thorir, thank you. That is just the sort of response I hoped this would generate.

 

And, yes, I do know Sugimoto's work. I had the distinct pleasure of seeing his seascapes (and some other works) in person at the Royal Ontario Museum. They have a certain power in a magazine (or album cover); but, nothing compares to standing in front of the 3 metre square prints. They totally envelop the viewer.

 

I'm not usually a fan of the "everything huge" trend that seems to have taken over in photography. But, Sugimoto's prints benefited greatly from being seen large. I've also seen Burtynsky's work at that sort of 3-4 metre scale and they also had a whole different power at that size.

 

 

 

Thanks everyone for your kind words. This is the one falls from Watkin's Glen that didn't have time to see when I visited here the first time. I was initially quite disappointed with what I brought back from a repeat visit because a lot of shots didn't turn out and I didn't find as many new compositions as I had thought I would. But, working with this image, I am now quite satisfied with the results – even if this is the only keeper from the whole day.

 

Chris, the details do look great shown full-size on my monitor and I am hopeful about a print. But, alas, I haven't got around to one yet!

This was taken this past fall on Canadian Thanksgiving weekend

(Columbus day in the US?).

 

All comments welcomed and appreciated. Thanks for your feedback.

Please click on the image to see the larger (950x950) image.

Thanks Rachel!

Chris, thanks for coming by and for your kind appraisal of this. I'm well, if in a bit of a creative funk lately. I've been feeling a bit more inspired lately and might have some new stuff (and some old stuff never posted) to share in the coming weeks.

 

I'll have to pay your pages a visit and see what you've been up to lately too. I haven't checked in on anyone on PN in a long time.

Rachel, sorry for not replying sooner. I've been away from PN for a while.

 

You're right that this could be pushed a bit in contrast and maybe it'd have more snap and catch the eye better. But, I liked the softness in the whispy clouds and in the wheat and felt that pushing the contrast made this seem harsher and more desolate which I didn't want here.

Thanks Stephen.

 

I have actually had both images (not actually crops but sequential frames) in my portfolio for some time and just decided to place this one here to consolidate them.

 

Neither image is really working here on PN. I recognize that.

 

However, I have printed these both at 16x24 and the detail makes this work nicely at that size. For example, the two trees here look like black blobs whereas at that size one can see that they actually have detail and variation of tone. Similarly the background hills have a remarkable clarity and detail for being so distant.

 

I prefer the second framing. There is a man-made wire fence that can be seen in this one that the tighter frame removes.

Different Crop

This is such a nice image. I love the simplicity of the composition here with the strong lines leading back into the frame. The colours of the sky and the wheat are wonderfully handled -- rich, vibrant, with a hint of surreality without pushing it into the un-real.

 

Nicely done indeed. In fact, I probably like these sorts of shots more than all the dramatic contours from Steptoe at sunset (despite their remarkably wide appeal).

I really like this shot, Paolo. The simple almost even distribution of elements in the frame (1/3 rock, 1/3 sky, 1/3 sea) is very pleasing and the centred composition feels very natural in this case.

 

The subtle colours are the true stars, though and the hint of green algae on the rock grabs and anchors my eye right and the very heart of the images. The rocks and surf almost seem to give this a sense of movement – as if I was looking down at the prow of some great ship sailing forward across the sea.

This is so amazing. The wildflowers and the beautiful sky would make a lovely shot all on their own – the deer just puts this into a whole other realm though.

 

 

 

John,

 

This is so lovely. I am a huge fan of the last light of twilight and this is wonderfully captured here. I also like the role the snow plays here – it offsets the white salt-pans in the distance nicely: really balancing the composition.

 

I am also totally jealous of this because I loved my time on the Alvord and I really wanted to go up Steens to see the view across the valley but the road up was closed at the time. Of all the places I visited on my whirlwind tour, I think Eastern Oregon was the most impressive and calls the loudest for my return.

 

"Unfortunately, however, it seems to cut down a picture's exposure if you turn them off."

 

True, that. I probably wouldn't have seen this now if it wasn't in the TRP. I've been too busy lately to spend much time in the critique forum. Although, I would probably have caught it later on a visit to your portfolio as a whole.